Held Captive
by Your Favorite Worst Dream
Summary: AU. My take on the classic "Edward kidnaps Bella" story. Full summary inside. Rated T just in case.
1. An Unwelcome Discovery

**Finding the price of college to high, the orphaned Edward turns to a less than shady source: an Italian mob called the Volturi. Now, when he is just barely keeping his head above water, he realizes that what he once thought was a gift is actually a trap. The Volturi are growing impatient with his inability to pay them back, with interest, of course. So they give Edward a proposal: they will forgive all debts if he does a favor for them and kidnaps a witness that is going to testify against them the following week. And if he doesn't do it, well, let's just say his brother Emmett won't be having the best of days.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Twilight_ nor am I in a mob, just in case you wanted to know.  
**

* * *

Chapter One:  
An Unwelcome Discovery

_Bang!_

In the alley, a body collided into the ground with a sickening thud, blood spreading across the dirty gravel until it got to the man's feet. He stepped back in time, saving the imported leather from an unsightly stain. The man stowed the still smoking gun in his jacket and strode out from behind the large dumpster where he had been conducting his "business."

He stopped briefly beside a street light and lit a cigarette with a smile of satisfaction on his face. It seems that word had got around fast and everyone had vacated the area; no one wanted to be anywhere near Tony "The Rat" Gallo when The Boss wanted him to disappear. The man walked away, not even noticing the top of a brunette head that was showing behind an apartment building's stoop.

Bella had seen it all.

000

There had been no mistaking who it was. She had seen Felix Moretti's broad and threatening face plastered over practically every news channel for the past two weeks. Outrage had erupted when the jury ruled him not guilty in one of the most televised court cases of the year. He was suspected of smuggling, theft, and murder, but the charges just seemed to slide off him, leaving Felix and the "company" he worked for untouched by anything more offensive than rumors.

Bella cursed herself for staying out late at the store. She had wanted to unpack the new shipment of books tonight so she didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn and do it tomorrow morning, but now she saw what a very _very_ stupid idea that had turned out to be. Bella should have been safe at home, not stooping behind the first available large object so a known murderer wouldn't see her.

Once the steady and lumbering footfalls faded away, Bella jumped up on trembling ankles supported by even more difficult high heels and ran toward the alley, whispering in a frightened voice, "Are you okay?" She already knew the answer, but hope was there. It quickly disappeared to its hiding place, though, when she saw the heavyset body of a middle-aged man sprawled out on the ground. There was a bullet wound in his heart.

She had entered the alley telling herself that, no matter what, she would handle this with a level head. Bella even tried to arrange her face in the same mask of authority and indifference she had seen Charlie don before going to work, but it slipped and crashed the instant her shaking fingers came in contact with the motionless wrist. His eyes were glassy, his chest steady, and his pulse nonexistent.

Blinded by the tears of shock now leaking from her eyes, Bella bolted from that awful and dark place. She felt nauseous and sick from the concentrated smell of blood. All of a sudden, the city she had lived in for two years was strange and unfamiliar; she felt lost and hopeless in the desperate situation at hand. It didn't even register when it started to rain and her trench coat blew open in a gust of wind, leaving the smart pencil skirt and blouse Alice had insisted she wear for her first day as manager open to the elements.

When the glowing letters of _Seattle Police Department_ came into sight, Bella ran faster, fueled by fear-induced adrenaline and the ever growing certainty that Felix would be in one of the dark street corners, waiting for her to pass by so he could pull her into another alley to dispose of the only witness.

She climbed up the stairs swiftly, despite the cries of pain from her feet, and burst into the lobby, frightening the woman at the desk so much she jumped. "Miss?" the secretary called. "Are you feeling fine, Miss?"

Bella bent forward and gasped for air that didn't seem to relieve the screaming soreness that was once her lungs. She was distantly aware that her whole body was shaking with the force of her sobs. She looked at the woman through bangs that had fallen out of her tasteful bun with wide brown eyes, like an innocent doe caught in the headlights of a large car with no breaks. Trying not to notice how her body stung with the icy chill of the rain and discomfort of unused muscles, Bella drew an unsteady breath and addressed the secretary. "I," she said with the tone of someone on Death Row, "have just witnessed a murder."

000

The phone rang, interrupting Jasper's thought process. Sitting in Alice's and his apartment, he had been scrupulously surveying the resume he had typed up for any error whatsoever before he would send it to one of the most prestigious therapists in Seattle, hoping to God that the man would choose him an intern. Still mouthing the words to himself, Jasper answered the phone, expecting to hear Alice asking him what kind of take-out he wanted when she got home from shopping with his sister, but instead was greeted by a low and deep voice.

"Jasper Hale?" the man on the other side of the line said, his voice steeped in importance. Jasper could only start to answer before he continued. "We must ask you to come down to the station as quickly as you can. It concerns a girl named Isabella Swan, who says that she's a friend of yours."

"Bella?" Jasper marveled. "What could she possibly do to get in jail? She's as harmless as a-"

"It would be better if we tell you in person, Mr. Hale; it is of a…delicate nature." The man seemed to hesitate, losing the power and bravado in his voice as he added, "She's not doing too well, and it's only going to get worse from here."

"I'll be there in ten minutes," Jasper asserted before hanging up and rushing out of the apartment, not even bothering to grab a coat to put over his thin t-shirt.

True to his word, Jasper was there in a matter of minutes, having already called Alice and Rose to tell them to hurry home and wait for him and Bella. Alice was worried and demanded to know what happened, not even taking Jasper's word that he didn't know. It had taken the better part of his drive over to convince her that he would see her over to their place as quickly as he could.

Jasper pulled into one of the parking spaces and rushed through the doors of the station, already seeing the tension on everybody's faces, feeling the alert apprehension in the stance of the secretary and officer that awaited him in silence. Slightly behind them, wrapped in a blanket and gripping an untouched cup of coffee in her hand, Bella sat on one of the benches. Jasper immediately went toward her, but the officer blocked his path.

Feeling helpless with no understanding of the situation, Jasper demanded, "What happened to her? Was she mugged?" His mind quickly went from mugged, to much worse paths of thought, and he stared at the man in blue with open blame, like whatever had happened was his fault entirely.

The officer, whose name tag proclaimed him to be named Brian Banner, grabbed Jasper's forearm and drew him aside. "How close are you to the young lady, Mr. Hale?"

"She's been a friend of my sister's and mine since we were kids and she introduced me to my fiancée; how much closer do you want? Now, will you tell me what the Hell hap-?"

In an almost whispered voice, Officer Banner asked, "Have you heard of Felix Moretti?" At Jasper's nod he continued, "He's been in and out of court ever since he moved here a few years back for serious charges, but he's always slipped out of our grip. The witnesses mysteriously disappear or back out for no apparent reason." He stopped, sneaking a completely obvious look back at Bella, who had abandoned the cup of coffee and was resting her head on her hands, her face blank. "Your friend says that she has just witnessed him murder a man in an alley way under an hour ago. We've sent some men out there and they just reported back that what she says is true."

Banner licked his dry lips and continued on in his low voice like what he was going to say next was almost impossible to believe. "The lady says that she'll testify against Moretti, no matter what will happen to her. She was going on about some guy named Charlie, and his morals. The thing is, we need a witness of sound mind and, from what I can see, she doesn't look like the most mentally stable of people right now."

"Mentally stable?" Jasper growled, staring the now wary officer in the eyes with anger. "She's the daughter of a police chief, Charlie Swan, who just saw the most dangerous man in Seattle kill someone. Bella would be crazy _not_ to react this way!"

Shuffling his feet, Banner admitted, "That's not the worst of it, Mr. Hale." Speaking quickly, perhaps he was hoping that the faster he spoke the less angry this tall and intimidating man would be, he said, "The man she saw Moretti kill was Tony Gallo, the witness for his last trial."

Jasper could only blink. The rest of his mind seemed like a barrage of what could happen to sweet, tiny Bella, the innocent little sister he never had. He was incapable of speech for several moments before he croaked, "When is the trial?"

"As soon as we can manage it to be."

"And what security measures will be taken for Bella's protection?"

"We can station a squad car outside her place of work and I suggest that you let her stay with you or another friend until the trial day. She shouldn't be alone. Other than becoming a black belt, I don't think that there is much more that can be done." Banner glanced back to Bella's shaking form once more. "I really wish this hadn't happened to her," he murmured, looking down at the scuffed floor tiles. "She seems like a good kid."

Jasper nodded with a troubled air. "The best."

000

Alice and Rosalie were already waiting in nail biting worry when Jasper ushered a zombie-like Bella into the apartment. She still had on the blanket from the police department and looked blankly at her two best friends without an emotion on her heart-shaped face. Bella only ran a pale hand through her damp hair and walking unsteadily past them, to the spare bedroom. The door closed quietly, and in the piercing silence, her sobs could be faintly heard.

Both women stared at Jasper with identical questions marks on their faces. Alice plucked at a loose stitch on the hem of her skirt and looked pleadingly up at her fiancée. "Jazz," she began, fighting to not let the quiver overtake her voice, "what happened to her?"

If it were any other time, one might have felt sorry for the poor man. He rubbed his eyes in a terrified stupor and ran a hand through his already standing-on-end hair. Jasper couldn't even meet their eyes as he retold, "Bella saw Felix Moretti kill a man named Tony Gallo."

Alice, who thought the television was to be used strictly for fashion shows and red carpet footage, only looked puzzled by this, but Rose immediately gasped. Dropping the _Vogue_ she had been nervously clutching, she whirled around and fumbled around on the coffee table for yesterday's paper. She held up the front page inches away from Jasper's nose and, in a horrified whisper, asked, "_This _man? Was _this _the man Bella saw?"

Jasper took it from her trembling hands and blinked at the black and white picture of a snarling man leaving the courthouse. Above, the headline read, _Suspect in Murder Walks Free for his Sixth Consecutive Time_. Rosalie didn't need an answer once she saw the grim tragedy in his tired blue eyes.

"Oh, shit," she started chanting, growing louder and more pronounced with each profanity. "Oh, shit. Oh, _shit_. Oh _shit_! What are we going to do? Jasper, Felix Moretti is in the _mafia_!" Rosalie turned her blazing blue eyes to the closed guest room door, where Bella's sobs were stilled.

Paranoid for the sake of her friend, Rosalie quietly opened the door and felt relief flood through her when she saw Bella, passed out on the bed. Rosalie gently tucked her in and smoothed down her friend's hair before taking a Kleenex from the bedside table and wiping the trails of mascara off of Bella's face. Such unintentional maternal care was unknown to anyone but her brother and two friends, and anyone else besides them would have been shocked to see it displayed so prominently in Rosalie's actions.

She left the room, gently closed the door, and turned to Jasper and Alice. "She's in trouble, isn't she?" Rosalie asked softly.

And Alice, small and dainty Alice who had the uncanny ability to know what the weather was going to be like and could correctly guess the outcome of practically any situation, could only say, "Yes. Yes she is."


	2. A Hopeless Situation

**Sorry it took so long.**

**Disclaimer: If I did own the characters of **_**Twilight**_**, I doubt I'd be so cruel to them.

* * *

**

Chapter Two:  
A Hopeless Situation

The bus lurched along its route, moving from the city to the docks and warehouses that lined the outer rim of Seattle. The driver looked back and saw that there was still one lone passenger. He was a young man; tall and pale with tired eyes that looked out the window listlessly. He had been there since the first stop, over by the college, and hadn't looked up once.

Seeing the bus depot a block away, the driver stopped the bus and turned toward the youth. "Excuse me," he called. "This is the last stop."

As if breaking from a deep reverie, the boy's head snapped up in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry." His voice was low and haggard, his darting green eyes taking in the darkness outside the relative safety of the bus. He got up awkwardly, bending at the knees to keep his head from hitting the ceiling, and slowly walked down the steps and onto the sidewalk.

When he was a few steps away, the driver's voice stopped him. "Are you alright? You seem a little worse for wear. I could call a taxi at the bus depot, if you like."

The boy looked down at the frayed edges of his gray sweater, the worn and thin material of his jeans, and the soles of his shoes, which were peeling away. Then he looked at the bus driver, a wiry old man with his honestly concerned expression. "Thank you, but I don't look half as bad as I'm going to be in an hour's time."

And then he walked off in a fidgeting, but somehow graceful, lope, peering into the dark alleys he was passed with wide, mistrustful eyes.

Several blocks later, the boy was under a flickering streetlight and fishing quarters from his pocket. He didn't really need to make a call but, seeing as the payphone was too good a distraction to pass up, he decided that it would be wisest to check his messages. After slowly thumbing the change into the slot and seeing tomorrow morning's breakfast going with it, he dialed with a solemn and concentrated air.

"Message one: 'Mr. Cullen, my name is Leslie Paulson, I'm from the financial aid offices. I'm sorry to say this, but the school simply does not have the funds to give further grants or loans to its students. We can discuss your options during tomorrow's meeting. Goodbye, Mr. Cullen. I'm sorry there was nothing more that could be done.'

"Message two: 'Hey, Eddie! Remember me, your big brother? I know you might not recognize me, seeing as you've been avoiding me any chance you get, but I'm that ridiculously handsome ladies' man your sorry ass has been jealous of since birth. I just wanted to thank you for blowing me off tonight, Eddie. I've had to seek companionship in much more… _voluptuous_ forms, if your nerdy brain can imagine. Just know that, while you are surrounded by musty textbooks, I am getting free drinks from a rather endowed pair of blondes. See what you're missing?'

"Message three: 'Where are you, Edward? We're getting impatient.' End of messages."

The boy slammed the receiver down like he'd been electrocuted. He'd procrastinated long enough.

000

If there was one thing to be said about the Volturi brothers, it is that they revel in the cliché. They understand that an Italian mafia is not only dated, but laughable. Aro has a penchant for cigars, Marcus is never seen without a fedora and a sharp suit, and Caius has often instructed the art of cooking a spaghetti meal for a large number of people. As a joke, they even insisted on setting up headquarters in an old warehouse. Still, they are more feared and respected than any movie interpretation of mob life can detail. Behind their thick accents and good humored appearance were the cold-hearted minds of rulers who understood that there was a much bigger picture than Seattle.

They had started with personal loans that proved to be too good to be true with skyrocketing interest and hard-fisted lackeys to collect. Investing was the obvious step, followed by several small businesses, and then many large businesses. Soon, the Volturi had their pale hands in everything.

That doesn't mean that they no longer continue the practice that first made them what they are. No, personal loans prove to be as profitable as ever. The young man being escorted into their headquarters was proof of that.

"Ah, young Edward," Aro greeted from one of the three fold-out chairs in the center of the room, "how are you this lovely night?" He was perfectly congenial, lighting his cigar casually, but the overwhelming authority in his voice made the three fold-out chairs the brothers were seated in look like thrones. "I trust that you know what you are here for."

Edward glanced at the large men on either side of him. "I have a hunch."

Without warning, the guard to his right leveled a blow to Edward's stomach, knocking the wind out of his lungs and leaving him bent over and gasping for breath. Aro smiled softly, as if speaking to a favorite grandchild, and said, "You always had a mouth that was as smart as your brain, haven't you Edward? That's what got you into this mess in the first place. You needed money to go to a college worthy of your brains and I provided you with it. That was three years ago, Edward, and I haven't gotten what was mine in return. I don't know if you've been keeping track, but I have; full tuition with _three years _of interest. I know that's more than your part-time bartending and weekend piano lounge act can afford."

Gasping for air, Edward sputtered, "I…I can still get the mo…the money. Just…give me…time."

"Really? Tell me, then, how will you get over eight hundred _thousand_ dollars with a little bit of time?"

The silence of Aro's question was broken only by Edward's labored gasping as he heaved for air. He looked around him frantically, green eyes searching for some escape, some way out of this mess he had gotten himself in when he was young and didn't know any better.

"Now, Edward, don't look so downtrodden," Aro purred, relaxing into his chair. "My brothers and I have decided that we like you." The disinterested looks on their faces proved otherwise. "So we will give you a deal. We will erase all debts and continue funding your education, if you do one, simple thing."

Edward straightened up painfully. "Where… are the strings?"

"There are none. We may be crooks, Edward, but we are honorable."

Edward didn't need to see Aro's smug face to not trust him. "What's the favor? Blow up a hospital? Kill a vicar? Take out the president?"

"Nothing that distasteful. All we want is for you to gather a certain individual for us and keep her in one of our northern retreats for a few weeks or so. All expenses paid, of course. We will even supply the car."

Edward's mouth twisted into a grim sneer. "You mean you want me to kidnap some innocent girl? No, absolutely not. You may do whatever you like to me, but I will not harm anyone to pay a debt." He turned his back on the brothers, only guessing at the pain he would feel at their guard's hands for being insubordinate, and walked toward the door.

"No, Edward, you are mistaken. We want you to kidnap an innocent girl, yes, but it is not you who will pay if you are not successful. No, that will all be up to your brother."

Edward stopped cold, turning to face this threat with rage and fear in his eyes. Aro nodded his head to the right and one of the guards left his side to open a door. Three more guards shuffled through with a writhing man in their grasp. He was huge, easily taller and more muscled than the hired men, but his hands were tied behind his back and his head was covered by a cloth bag secured tightly around his neck. That didn't stop him, though, from attempting to take out his captors, all three of which had bruises and cuts covering their exposed skin.

Feeling like he had been thrown into a vat of ice water, Edward jerked forward. He was quickly stopped from further movement when the two guards returned to his side and firmly grasped either arm. Fighting for movement, Edward cursed and raved. He had to explain to his brother – the only family that he had left – and apologize for his idiocy. "Emmett! Shit, what did you do to him you bastards? Emmett! Are you alright? My God, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I swear I didn't!"

Aro calmly interrupted Edward's frantic apology. "No, I sure you didn't mean for this to happen, but it has. If you would have only paid your debt, Edward, your brother wouldn't have been torn away from the two lovely ladies he was with at the bar and brought here. Now," his voice grew cold, offering no chance for argument, "you _will_ take care of this momentary complication in our plans or Emmett _will_ die a horrific and very painful death. Got it?

"Here," Aro handed Edward a folder, "this contains everything you will need. There is a picture of the young woman, her daily schedule, her address, her place of work, directions to where you ought to take her, instructions for when you get there, and keys for the car you will be given. I expect for you to have this carried out within the next seventy-two hours. But you always were an over achiever, Edward, I'm sure you have enough motivation to be done early."

He made a gesture to the guards and they started to drag Edward to the door. "Wait!" he yelled. "Let me just talk to him! Just for a moment? Please."

Aro looked over the boy and smiled. He always did have a soft spot for sentimentality and drama, plus he loved to see a man coming apart at the seams. Edward looked the perfect embodiment of the term. "Of course you can. Demetri, take that sack off of young Emmett's head so he may see his brother for what he really is."

The guard did what he was told and Emmett's bloody and beaten face was exposed to the harsh light overhead. Edward let out a strangled groan and strained to be closer to his brother. "Em, Em, I am so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Please believe me when I say that I will fix this."

Emmett smiled mirthlessly. "Why didn't you come to me, Ed? Why didn't you tell me you were ears deep in this shit? I'm your big brother, dammit; I'm supposed to protect you."

"We both know you're only scraping by payment for your bills, Em. I couldn't hold you responsible. I had to be a fucking idiot and solve this problem myself. But you won't pay for my mistakes. Just do as they say and you'll be fine. I can fix this."

Shaking his head slowly, Emmett sighed. "But what will they make you do to her after you kidnap her, Ed? I'm afraid you're way out of your fucking depth, kid, and it only gets worse from here. Don't hurt some poor girl for my sake and –" The bag went back over his head and his captors hauled him back through the door.

As Edward was taken out though another door, he was left with the sight of the three Volturi men in their fold-out thrones, playing kings with the lives of those they felt were their subjects. Never did Edward feel as much hate for a person, let alone three, as he did then.

000

When he was back in shoe box apartment, among his books and music and guilt, Edward opened the folder. On top was the photo of the girl whose life he was about to make as ruined and hopeless as his own. He ignored how happy she looked and how beautiful she was. He had to think of his brother, the only constant in his life since their parents' death when he was thirteen. Emmett had taken care of him then, but it was Edward's turn to take care of him now.

If he didn't succeed with the Volturi brothers' plan, he'd be alone. Forever.


	3. A False Sense of Security

**Disclaimer: If I did own **_**Twilight**_**, the publishing house would hate me for how late I am with deadlines, so it's a good thing that I don't.

* * *

**

Chapter Three:

A False Sense of Security

"What's she been doing for the past hour?"

"She's been getting ready for... work."

"What?!"

"Jasper, don't get mad –"

"Not get mad!"

"- but she doesn't want her life to be affected by this."

"Of course her life is affected, Rosalie! The fucking _mafia_ is just itching for a chance to shut her up! Am I the only one that can see the danger here?"

"We _all_ understand the danger, Jasper, but I don't want to lock her up until a trial that's a month away!"

"We don't have to lock her up, I just don't want her to be alone and –"

"Look, we'll all walk her to the bookstore, a squad car will be parked out front, and that store clerk who's in love with her will be inside. She'll be fine if she's not alone."

"I don't like this…"

"Neither do I, but it's been a week. She needs to have some semblance of normalcy before she goes insane. I can't see her walking around like a zombie anymore. It's what she wants."

"Fine, but I'm checking on her during lunch."

"You're doing the right thing, Jasper. She needs this."

Their voices faded off as Rosalie and Jasper moved into the kitchen, leaving Bella and Alice in silence on the other side of the door to the guest room. Bella sat still on the vanity chair as Alice hovered over her with a mascara wand and a tube of lipstick. The silence yawned and grew. Alice felt the need to fill it quickly.

"There's nothing like the right outfit to put you in the right state of mind," she began, discovering that once she started she wouldn't be able to stop. "I've always felt that a pair of pumps and bright red lipstick can solve any self doubts. If you look good, you feel good, right? And you look good, like a silent movie star. Your body's perfect for high-waisted skirts, and the silk blouse is lovely. Can you believe I got it on sale? Once I saw the shade of blue, I knew I had to buy it for you. It matches the pumps perfectly, and you can never go wrong with suede shoes, right? And I wish you'd wear your hair like this more often-"

"Alice."

"- waves suit your face -"

"Alice!"

"What, Bella? Was I talking too much? I'm sorry, you know how I get when I'm nervous -"

"Thank you. For everything."

Alice smiled, her bottom lip trembling a bit. She hugged Bella tightly – perhaps too tightly – and took a deep breath. She agreed with Rose when it came to Bella getting out for a bit, but she worried. There was some nagging feeling in the back of her stomach that that told her something bad was going to happen. But if Bella didn't get out of this guest room with its mindless waiting she'd go crazy. This was the first time Bella's smiled since that night, and she wanted it to stay.

Bella saw where her friend's thoughts were going. "Nothing's going to happen to me, okay? They wouldn't dare do anything in broad daylight, especially if they see that I'm with a badass pixie with a black belt."

Alice let out a strangled laugh. "Oh, yeah. I'll open a can of whoop-ass so big they'll be eating leftovers for weeks."

Bella stood up, slipped on the suede pumps for Alice's benefit, and turned to her. "I look good, I feel good, and I'm in no danger. Come on, Alice let's get Rose and your grumpy ass fiancée before I'm late for work."

It being a surprisingly nice spring day, they donned their trench coats and walked the six blocks to the bookstore, laughing with good natured serenity.

None of them noticed the silver Volvo following them.

000

"Look, Bella, Jasper talked to me and I just wanted to tell you that I'm, like, totally here for you." Mike lingered on after that statement, as though he was expecting a soul kiss for his brave dedication. Bella only smiled with clenched teeth, trying not to breathe. Mike hadn't brushed his teeth today, and he was much too close to ignore politely.

Once he had gone to the back room to un-box a huge shipment of Stephen King novels, Bella took a deep breath. It was comforting to know that with all the things that had happened to her, Mike's bad breath was the worst part of her day. _See? _she told herself. _Everything's fine. There's no need to worry. No need at all._

A soft cough interrupted her reassurances. "Excuse me," an attractively deep voice said, "but can you help me find a book?"

Bella looked up, saying, "Of course, what's it called?"

The customer paused, appearing to rack his brain like he hadn't though it through. "Um, Hemingway's… _The Sun Also Rises_," he finally said. He had his hands in the pockets of his black windbreaker, and he kept twitching, as though he wanted to take them out but couldn't. His bright green eyes swept the empty aisles of the small store before returning to Bella. He smiled uncertainly.

That smile is what quelled Bella's suspicion of those preoccupied hands. It was a nice smile, she decided, a great smile in a great face that was all angels and curves. Narcissus would have been jealous. "Follow me, Hemingway's in the back row."

As she led the way, she felt his towering form stride smoothly after her unsteady steps. "No one else here, huh?" she heard him ask.

"Nope, except for Mike, who's in the stock room. We're not exactly what you'd call a hot spot."

The customer forced a laugh. "Perhaps the cop car out front is scaring them off."

Bella giggled. "Well, we like to be tough with shoplifters." She stopped at a shelf and reached to grab a book from it. "Here's your Hemingway. I've always been a Fitzgerald girl myself, but to each their own, right?" She held the novel and started back to the register.

"Thanks, Isabella," the customer said, his handsome voice holding more than nerves.

Bella stopped. She looked down at her blouse – no nametag. "How did you know…?" Her mind went back to when he came into the store; the entrance bell hadn't gone off. _But how…?_

She tried to run, but before she knew it he had taken his hands out of his pockets, and with them a bottle and a rag. Lighting quick he blocked her path and he held the newly wet rag against her face. She tried to fight but soon she couldn't move at all… everything was dark…

Once her body was limp, Edward tossed the bottle and rag to the ground. He picked her up with ease – trying not to look at that innocent face as he did – and carried her through the back door, to his car which was waiting in the alley behind the store.

On the floor, _The Sun Also Rises_ became damp with the contents of the broken bottle.

000

Jasper strode down the street whistling the tune of a Kinks song and swinging a fast food bag in his hand. Turning onto the avenue where the bookstore was, he sped up and burst through the door, playfully yelling, "Bella! I've got enough double cheeseburgers to make all those clothes Alice bought you woefully obsolete!" When there was no answer, he peeked into the back room. "Bella?"

Panic took over. He dropped the bag and ran through the aisle, half expecting Bella to jump out and tell him it was all a joke, but all he found was Mike and a police officer. They were standing in the furthest aisle back; Mike was wringing his hands and the officer was calling for crime scene investigators on his radio. Jasper looked at the objects on the floor, then at Mike – Mike, that creep who'd obsessed over Bella for the past two years – who was just standing there.

An animal yell erupted from Jasper's cultured lips. He viciously grabbed the collar of Mike's shirt and rammed him against the nearest bookshelf, making several fall to the ground around him. "Where," he snarled, "is she?" He didn't give Mike any time to answer, though. "How could you let her be taken like this? How could I think that you were enough protection for her? Now she's gone! She's gone and you're wringing your hands like it was out of you power!" The police officer grasped Jasper's shoulders and hauled him back. "Why didn't you notice?!" Jasper yelled.

Mike slid down to the floor, shaking his head in determined disbelief. If Jasper wasn't restrained he would've hit him. "I don't know what happened!" Mike cried. "I was unloading a shipment in the back and when I came out to check on her she was gone. That stuff was on the floor and the front door had the sign turned to closed. I told the cop out front, but it was too late. It was too late…"

"Look, Mr. Hale," the officer said, slowly letting him go. "Where he took her can't be far away. We have all the roads blocked and undercover officers watching the Volturi headquarters. If they have her, we'll know. What I want to know is how they got in. I would have seen anyone get in from the front, so that means he came in through the back, locked the bolt on the front door, and turned the sign to closed before taking her with chloroform. How did he get the key to the back door?"

Mike made a high-pitched noise from the floor. He closed his eyes, like if he couldn't see it wouldn't make it real. "Th-there was a shipment today. It wasn't Ben, or regular guy. He said Ben was sick, and that he was filling in. He asked to borrow the keys so he could throw the empty boxes in the dumpster out back. He never gave them back… I'd forgotten…"

The officer, who was writing this down, nodded and slammed the book shut. "I saw the truck and wrote down the number. We'll run it and in the mean time I'll need to take you into the station to have a sit down with a sketch artist." He turned to Jasper. "Mr. Hale, you ought to return home and contact any of Ms. Swan's family and friends. Try not to worry too much; we're working `round the clock to get her back."

"Yeah," Jasper sighed. "That's easy for you to say. You're not the one living out your worst nightmare."

000

Edward turned up the soothing classical music, blocking out the banging noises coming from the trunk. He tried to focus on the positives – like how he dodged the road blocks or how nice the car the Volturi gave him was – but those were just sad attempts to lie to himself. There were no positives.

He drove out of the city, unseen, undetected.


End file.
